Door latch



Aug. 28, 1951 D. BJELLAND 2,565,752

DOOR LATCH Filed June 28, 1946 Inventor @amm d/away 38];

Patented Aug. 28,:21951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEl 2,565,752 Doon LATCH David Bjelland, Homan, Minn.

Application June 28, 1946, Serial No. 680,015

3 Claims. l

This invention relates to improvements in door latch constructions.

An lobject of the invention is to provide an improved door latch construction including an integral substantially S-shaped latch bar and handle member adapted to be slidably supported transversely through a door, whereby movement of the handle member will positively latch the door when in closed position, and a reverse movement of the handle member will unlatch said door.

Another object of the invention is to provide an integrally formed latch and handle member for a door having a straight central bearing portion and oppositely disposed and extending arcuate latch and handle members adapted to be movable both longitudinally and axially with respect to the door. f

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved latch constructionfor a door including a central axially movable bearing portion adapted to extend through the door, with oppositely extending latch and handle members formed integrally therewith; and resilient means about said bearing portion for normally exerting an inward pressure on the said latch member.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved latch construction for a door which will be highly efficient in operation, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear'as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application,

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a door and associated jamb, showing the improved latch in elevation supported by the door;

Figure 2 is an elevation of a handle keeper member;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on the plane 3 3 of Figure 1 through a door showing the resiliently mounted latch extending therethrough engaged in an inclined slotted keeper;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view through the edges of a pair of adjacent doors and the jamb therebetween with the latch secured.I in a double keeper used with two adjacent doors;

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a double keeper member, and

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the double keeper used with two adjacent doors.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the following specification and the accompanying drawings to designate corresponding parts.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided an improved door latch generally designated by the reference numeral I and having a straight centrally disposed bearing portion 2, which is bent on one end to provide the arcuate handle member 3, and bent at its opposite end to provide the latch bar generally designated by the reference numeral 4 and comprising the parallel arms 5 and 6 connected by the loop 1, and the inwardly directed arm 8 which is bent at an angle to provide the latch end 9.

An aperture ID is formed through the door II which is swingably mounted by hinges II and a pair of apertured guide plates I2 and I3 are secured to the opposite surfaces of the door to overlie said aperture I0, being held in place by means of the bolts I4, said plates forming bearings for the central portion 2 of the latch I. A coil spring I5 is mounted about the portion 2 0f the latch and is engaged on one end by the washer I6, which is held in place by the cotter pin II. The cotter pin being transversely inserted through the portion 2 of the latch whereby the latch will be normally directed inwardly toward the door II. The central portion 2 is rotatably disposed in the bearings so that by turning the handle 3, the latch end 9 may be disposed in a vertical or horizontal position.

The keeper for the latch 9 comprises a plate I8 which is provided with a sloping notch I9 terminating with the enlarged socket 20 in which the latch 9 is adapted to seat when in latched position. The plate or keeper I8 will be held to the door jamb 2I by means of the screws 22. An aperture or seat 23 will be cut in the jamb 2| to provide space for the latch head 9 to seat in, the same being moved in and out of engagement with the seat by rotating the handle.

A holding catch 24 will be supported by the screws 25 to an adjacent portion of the building structure to engage the handle member 3 when the door II is opened to hold the same in open position.

In the event a pair of doors 26 are used with a middle strip 21, a double keeper 28 will be employed, being of U-shape and formed with downwardly sloping edges 29 and locking notches 30, the same being secured in place by the screws 3I From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that there has been devised a highly eicient form of latch construction for doors, which will be positive in action, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

While the preferred embodiment of the instant invention has been illustrated and described, it

will be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention thereto, as many minor changes in detail of construction may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Latch means for a door formed with a transverse opening and hingedly mounted in a door jamb comprising a rod slidably and rotatably journaled in said opening for movement about an axis transverse of the door, a handle on one end of said rod, a latch member integrally formed on the other end of the rod, said latch member terminating in a latch nnger which extends radially outwardly 'from said rod, a keeper plate on the door jamb having a finger engaging edge thereon disposed in the path oi movement of said finger, said edge including an initially engaged portion and a nally engaged portion, said edge being inclined away from the door from said initially engaged portion to said iinally engaged portion, said edge terminating at its finally engaged portion in a finger receiving locking recess, resilient means mounted on the journaled portion of the rod for urging the latch member toward the door, said resilient means being compressed as said finger slides from said initially engaged portion to said finally engaged portion.

2. Latch means for a door formed with a transverse opening and hingedly mounted in a door jamb comprising bearing plates covering the opposing ends of said opening, a rod slidably and rotatably journaled in the bearing plates for movement about an axis transverse of the door, a handle on one end of said rod, a latch member integrally formed on the other end of the rod, said latch member terminating in a latch finger which extends radially outwardly from said rod,

a keeper plate on the door jamb having a linger engaging edge thereon disposed in the path of movement of said iinger, said edge including an initially engaged portion and a finally engaged portion, said edge being inclined away from the door from said initially engaged portion to said iinally engaged portion, said edge terminating at its finally engaged portion in a finger receiving locking recess, resilient means disposed on said rod between said bearing plates for urging the latch member toward the door, said resilient means being compressed as said finger slides from said initially engaged portion to said finally engaged portion.

3. Latch means for a door formed with a transverse opening and hingedly mounted in a door j amb comprising bearing plates covering the opposing ends of said opening, a rod slidably and rotatably journaled in the bearing plates for movement about an axis transverse of the door, a handle on one end of said rod, a latch member integrally formed on the Vother end of the rod, said latch" member terminating in a latch finger which extends radially outwardly from said rod, a keeper plate on the door jamb having a iinger engaging edge thereon disposed in the path of movement of said finger, said edge including an initially engaged portion and a finally engaged portion, said edge being inclined away from the door from said initially engaged portion to said finally engaged portion, said edge terminating at its finally engaged portion in a nger receiving locking recess, a spring disposed concentrically about the rod between the bearing plates, said spring having one end abutting the' bearing plate adjacent said latch member, a thrust plate secured to said rod and engaging the other end of said spring, said spring yieldingly urging said latch member towards the door, said spring being compressed as said nger slides from said initially engaged portion to said iinally engaged portion.

DAVID BJELLAND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references vare of record in the of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France Dec, 6, 1930 

